Debbie Dewey is ending her first year leading the Growth Alliance of Greater Evansville, having introduced several new Tri-State employers.

EVANSVILLE - Contrary to concerns voiced by City Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, Earthcare Energy has no competition, its technology was recommended for the Department of Defense and has a patent pending, Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville officials said in a statement released Monday.

GAGE released the statement in response to a six-page report on Earthcare that Brinkerhoff-Riley released last week casting doubt over its success.

Also in the report, Brinkerhoff-Riley claimed Earthcare founder Ken Haney and his staff had unpaid taxes faced bankruptcy and failed businesses.

GAGE President Debbie Dewey said Monday those issues had been addressed.

Brinkerhoff-Riley has opposed a $4.8 million city-financed loan to Earthcare, which is scheduled to be repaid in two years at 1.5 percent. The company also promised to share a total of $32 million in profits with the city over 15 years.

The pending deal also provided Earthcare with space in the former Whirlpool factory, known as Park 41, which would be paid by the city for two years. Brinkerhoff-Riley was one of the four-member City Council minority voting against the loan on March 26.

Last week, City Attorney Ted Ziemer said he was working with Earthcare to meet loan requirements safeguarding the city's investment, which will come from Casino Aztar revenue designated for economic development. Two of those requirements included the Park 41 lease and securing a purchase power agreement with Vectren. The completion of that agreement, which would be used as collateral for the loan, remained uncertain as of Monday evening.

Brinkerhoff-Riley said the GAGE response still fails to address that Earthcare and its staff do not have a track record of success.

"It has to have a good business plan and a good staff of people to execute it," she said, adding that GAGE, "failed to address that problem at all."

The response drafted by GAGE also signals problems in the process it used to vet the company and that it probably was not designed to loan public dollars.

"I don't mean to sound flippant but if it's such a good product with its own market and no competition, why are we the only people willing to fund it after three years of marketing," she asked.

Brinkerhoff-Riley said she plans to file for an ordinance on Wednesday that would rescind the loan, which will be first heard at Monday's City Council meeting. With that proposed ordinance, Brinkerhoff-Riley would include her report and up to 98 pieces of evidence she gathered primarily through Internet searches. Some of those searches included federal and state online databases. Others were made using Google and company websites tied to Haney and his staff.

Haney declined to comment on allegations made against him, adding he would rather focus on bringing about 120 jobs to Evansville.